Winter's Storm
by EmersedMouse
Summary: Bucky decided that he wouldn't be used ever again by Hydra. He and his new-found apprentice, a young girl that escaped Hydra's control, have brought down nearly every remaining branch of Hydra. Now, after nearly three years, both SHIELD and Steve Rogers have caught up to them as a new threat rises. Can Bucky and his apprentice stop it before it's too late? Rated T for violence.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- Hello! I've had this idea in my head ever since I saw The Winter Soldier. Please tell me how this is, as it's one of my first attempts at fan fiction. Please Read and Review, and thanks for checking this out! :)**

**-EmersedMouse**

**Prologue-**

After dragging Captain America out of the Delaware, the Winter Soldier, or Bucky, as the captain had called him, had begun to regain some of his memories. They were usually faint, fleeting flashes, but he'd gathered enough to know that he was merely a tool.

Hydra had lied to him about everything. They only cared about him because he was their best weapon against their foes. He was literally created to kill. They had put him away in storage in a frozen capsule for nearly as long as Steve Rogers. Then, when they needed him, they pulled him out and programmed him to do their every want and whim, like a robot. The things they'd done to him and had made him do... He wasn't sure yet what fate's purpose was for him, but he knew one thing. He didn't want to live like that any more. He would be a loner, a vigilante, and do all that he could to make up for everything he had done. If branches of Hydra still existed, he would take them down as well.

Bucky had headed for New York after the helicarriers had been brought down. He had bought an over-sized brown leather jacket and a pair of gloves to hide his metal arm. The jacket seemed out of style in this day and age, but when he looked in the mirror, it seemed familiar, comforting. It reminded him of home, lost so many years ago.

New York was so confusing to him still. He hadn't thought much of it when on missions, but now after comparing the old version of it in his memories with the new one in front of him, he felt more lost than ever.

Bucky hadn't found a place to settle down yet. He knew he would have to get some sort of a job in order to eat. At Hydra, his meals were planned out and given to him when the handlers felt he needed it, not when he wanted, in order to help keep him in top physical condition. He was still getting used to the idea of being free, of being able to choose to do whatever he wanted, when he wanted. Not when his handlers told him to. This felt wonderful.

Several months later, Bucky had a job at a warehouse in the outskirts of the city. The pay wasn't great, but it would do to keep an apartment until he could get a place of his own. He found his job of hauling crates around easy, the hard part was not using his left arm too much and making it look like his strength was equal to that of the other workers.

His apartment was a few miles out of the city limits. The building was run-down, but tidy. The elderly woman who ran it, Mrs. Helden, seemed to think of him as a son. She would often clean his room and do his laundry without him asking. He knew she meant well, but to be honest, he found it awkward. Mrs. Helden would sometimes speak of her son who had died in Vietnam, and then say how much Bucky reminded her of him. Usually the next day he would find a plate of cookies on his table.

Bucky had saved a few people over the past few months. A robber had cornered a young mother and her son in an alley, and there had been a few street fights with civilians nearby. Bucky had quickly resolved the skirmishes. He was reluctant to do anything too serious, though, as it would attract unwanted attention. He had a feeling that Steve was still searching for him.

Bucky had considered several times about trying to contact him, but the guilt was too strong. Bucky had nearly killed Steve, who hadn't fought back because he didn't want to hurt his best friend. And if SHIELD was smart, they would probably try and have him killed for everything he had done over the years. Bucky was going to prove that while he had been a ruthless monster, he could change, just like anyone else.

He began to go out in the evenings, sticking especially to the outskirts of the city where crime was more likely to happen. He stopped a few muggings, and twice he caught half-drunken thieves trying to break into houses.

Whenever he got access to a computer, he would do all the research on Hydra that he could. it wasn't too hard, since Agent Romanov had released thousands of files onto the web. The government was still scrambling in an effort to hide all of the files from the general public. They hadn't made much progress. He found a few places in the U.S where small units of Hydra could be sheltered. Bucky made a mental note to investigate them as soon as he could.

Bucky woke one morning, planning to spend his day off hunting for crime. He headed outside and, once out of sight from the apartment, began to sprint, covering the ground between him and the city quickly. He paused along the waterfront and looked out across the murky bay. It was a foggy morning, and a fine mist was pelting softly down. It didn't look like the sun would be coming up anytime soon.

He stuck along the waterfront for a few minutes, deciding on a route to take through the backstreets. He turned to go, but a brilliant flash of golden light and a noise that resembled a sonic boom made him flinch. He spun around and peered at the sky through the rain, watching a lone shape hurtle downwards. The thing, whatever it was, hit the water with a giant splash.

Bucky watched as the thing floated to the top of the water and began to struggle to stay afloat. He heard a small cry, and that was enough for him to go rescue it. He kicked off his shoes and dove in. He swam through the water a bit slower than he should have, due to the weight of his metal arm. Good thing it was waterproof.

The creature was obviously human, and as he got closer he saw that it was a young girl. She looked at him with dark brown eyes that clearly said she wanted to fight him, but didn't have the strength.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," he promised. The girl studied his eyes closely, then nodded weakly.

Bucky wrapped his left arm around her and began to swim back, taking care to keep her head above water. The girl just clung onto his arm, showing no surprise that it was pure metal. They arrived back at the cement walk just as Bucky heard sirens. He set her up on the walk before climbing up himself. He pulled on his shoes and started to walk away, figuring the police would take care of her. The way she had gotten here wasn't natural, and he wanted no part in it.

"Wait, where are you going?" The girl spoke with an accent that Bucky had never heard.

"Away. Don't worry, the police will get you home."

"No!" Panic rose in the girl's voice, and Bucky turned to look at her.

"Why not?" He asked. He wondered if perhaps she had run away from her home. But that didn't explain the noise, light, and her apearing out of the clouds.

"I can't go back! Please, I don't want to hurt anyone else!" The girl shook violently. As if on it's own accord, one of her hands reached protectively for the gold and silver sword strapped to her back.

Now how did i miss that? Bucky wondered. The sword's hilt fit into her hand perfectly, as if it was made for her. It probably was, in fact.

"Why would you have to hurt anyone?" Bucky asked, fearing her answer.

The girl's eyes were full of anguish. "I can't help it! They control my mind when they give me an assignment."

"They control your mind?" Bucky had a strong hunch on who "they" were.

"Yes," the girl bit her lip. "That's why I left. They were going to do something even worse, but my magic came out and brought me here, I guess."

By now, Bucky could hear the thump of helicopter blades. Several boats were out on the water, looking for anything that could tell them about the light and noise. If they wanted to avoid the police, Bucky and the girl would have to move immediately. But Bucky had just one more question.

"Do you know the name of their group?" he asked.

The girl coughed up a little more salt water and got to her feet. "They called themselves Hydra."


	2. Chapter 2

Woo! I got two follows! Thanks, guys. :) I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, as it's mainly a filler to show how Bucky and his apprentice got to where they are now. Next chapter the action will start, I promise. And just to clarify, Cassie isn't going to be the main subject of this story. I just needed someone else to help make the plot work. I guess I'd better do the disclaimer thing now, huh?

Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction site, so why do we have to put disclaimers when we all obviously own nothing but our OC's?

Bucky wasn't sure how Mrs. Helden was going to feel about him bringing a young girl home. He still didn't even know the girl's name or age, or what abilities Hydra had put into her. Right now they were walking back towards Bucky's apartment. He figured the least he could do was keep her hidden from Hydra for the time being.

"My name's Bucky. Yours?" He asked.

The girl glanced up at him. She was probably about five feet and eight inches, but was still short compared to him.

"I don't remember what I was called before I went to the labs, but once I heard a doctor call me Cassandra." She tensed, obviously realizing that she was telling a complete stranger information that she herself wasn't supposed to know.

"Hydra, huh?" Bucky wondered if he were to tell her his own story, she would tell him hers.

"You know of them?" Cassandra asked.

She'll probably find out sooner or later, Bucky thought. Might as well tell her now.

Bucky went on to tell her how Hydra had used him, how he had nearly killed his best friend because of his blank mind.

She took it in silence, but her occasional facial expressions told Bucky that she could sympathize.

"What did they do to you? You don't have to answer if you don't want to," he added quickly.

"No, it's fine." Cassandra wrung out her dark brown hair that was trying to escape it's braid. "I don't know too much, but they discovered that there was a vast amount of loose energy just floating around in the world. There was no way of harnessing it, electrically at least, so they did the next best thing."

"They harnessed it to you." Bucky tried to imagine how horrendous it must have been.

"Well, I was their last resort. They tried it out on several different people first." She shuddered, dropping her carefree attitude. "Each person died more horribly than the last. I was sure my death would involve me going up in flames." She walked in silence for a bit.

"It was so painful, I think I almost died. I went unconscious, thank goodness, and when I woke up, they said I would be the hope of the next generation."

"How do you use the energy?" Bucky wondered how powerful Cassandra was.

"It's hard to explain. I just focus on doing one thing, such as knocking someone off a building. I imagine a clear, solid force slamming into them, and it happens. The code word for it is magic." She grimaced.

"Hydra was so thrilled when they made a chip that enabled them to control my actions and part of my mind. They eventually improved the chip so that I would basically become a mindless robot, having no free will or even thoughts. I was on the operating table when I found out what it would do. I panicked and unleashed magic to ward them off, but the magic seemed to take over. Next thing I know, I'm hurtling towards the ocean, then you pulled me out."

"Teleportation, it would seem." Bucky wished that something like that could have happened to him. Who knew where he could be right now. "Cassandra, do you have any idea what you are going to do now?"

"I want to take down Hydra," she said, determination clearly pouring out of her words.

"Me too." Bucky blinked as an idea came to him. "Would you like to form a team? We would be stronger than if we were separated."

And that was how Cassandra became his apprentice. She was skilled in combat, but not skilled enough. Bucky taught her nearly every day, and she improved steadily. She was much stronger than any fifteen-year-old should be, even without using her energy-gathering abilities. Bucky knew it was probably an after affect of the serum. Her mind and reflexes were much more developed as well, which led him to believe that the serum completely changed her muscular structure.

Mrs. Helden was delighted when he introduced his "niece", and she insisted that Cassandra stay in one of the many spare bedrooms, completely free of cost.

Cassandra-er, Cassie, as she asked to be called, was smarter than a highschooler, so Bucky was saved the worry of her having to go to school. Cassie's forgery skills were also improved drastically after she made a copy of a random school's records with her name in them, as well as a graduate's diploma, lest she ever need them.

Everyday after Bucky got back from the warehouse, he and Cassie would trek a mile or so into the woods and train. Cassie became more than skilled enough to take on some of the best fighters, but Bucky was still worried that in a real fight, her training would desert her.

Cassie had been practicing her teleportation, reaching further and further away destinations. It took a lot of effort, so she could only make one trip and back a day. She started to take Bucky with her, as it only required a little more effort. Bucky was excited about this skill, because it meant that they could teleport to the locations where he believed Hydra units were located.

He brought it up one evening when they were taking a short rest from training.

"When do you want to leave?" Cassie asked immediately, looking thrilled at the prospect of taking down a part of Hydra.

"I was thinking we could head out tomorrow night, scout around, then go back in maybe a week so we know what we are up against." Bucky glanced at the position of the sun. "We should get back. It'll be dark soon."

Cassie fell asleep that night, imagining all that she could do to get back at Hydra for what they had done to her. She didn't even know if she'd had a family for Pete's sake! Maybe she could find some information when they searched for the Hydra base...

**Again, please Read and Review! It really gives me the motivation to keep writing!**


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you so much for the follows, review, and the favorite! I'm so glad to know that people like my story! I'm going to try and update at least twice a week. Maybe on Mondays and Fridays? I'm not sure yet. This chapter is pretty long, but I couldn't find a decent way to break it up. Well, enough with my rambling. Enjoy the chapter! :)

Disclaimer: If I owned the Avengers and The Winter Soldier, I would be out there making my fanfiction dreams come true instead of just sitting here writing about them.

Three years later-

Director Fury glared at the computer screen in front of him. Hydra's few remaining bases were nearly all destroyed by a rougue soldier. He was thankful for whoever was doing it, but the council was furious that he couldn't locate the rougue. If this person or group could take down Hydra so swiftly and efficiently, the council argued, then they could most certainly cause great damage to SHIELD if they wanted.

Fury had sent Agent Barton, or Hawkeye, out onto a surveilance mission to try and find the rougue. He had reported back that he had seen two figures seeming to disapear into thin air right after a small Hydra base had been blown up. Barton must have been mistaken about their disapearance though. People didn't just DISSAPEAR into thin air. But Barton had incredible eyesight, and if he saw it happen, then chances were, it had happened.

"Sir, Agent Hill to see you," the collected voice of Fury's AI announced.

"Send her in," he replied wearily. He hoped she had some good news. At this rate, he would be lucky to even get a glimpse of the rougues over a security camera.

His office doors swished open as Agent Hill walked in.

"Sir, I believe we have a fix on the rougues' location." She announced.

"Where?"

"Just outside of New York City, sir. We were able to get location from the energy levels. The readings are identical to the ones we charted near the Hydra bases that were destroyed." Hill paused. "What course of action would you like to take, sir?"

"I guess any normal agents would be ridiculously overpowered?" Fury asked.

"Judging from the Hydra bases, that would probably be the case," Hill replied.

"Send in Romanoff, Barton, and Rogers, then. Tell them to only restrain and capture, not kill, and not to appear too threatening."

"When, sir?" Hill questioned.

"Right away." Fury smirked at the thought of the rougues actually beating his toughest agents. Some things were simply impossible, and that was one of them.

Hill left Fury's office and relayed the instructions to Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov, and Clint Barton's handler through her earpeice. She then hurried back to her station so she could watch the mission.

"Hey, Steve!" Natasha called as she and Clint hurried to catch up with him. Steve paused and waited for them to catch up before vaulting into the back of the black armored vehicle that would take them to their targets.

As they traveled through the crowded streets, Natasha and Clint chatted about the mission. Steve, however, remained silent. Natasha finally noticed this and asked him what was wrong.

"Oh, nothing," he said a little too quickly. At Clint and Natasha's disbelieving looks, he sighed.

"i can't help but wonder... only a few of Hydra's locations were let loose to the public, and a month later, they were destroyed. Who would have the motivation to do that? Not even to mention the skills required..." Steve trailed off.

"You don't think it's the Winter Soldier, do you?" Clint asked skeptically. He adjusted his quiver of arrows.

"He has a name, you know," Steve muttered. "Who else could it be?"

"You have a good point, Steve," Natasha interrupted, doing her best to prevent an arguement between the two men. "But don't get your hopes up. He's probably still brainwashed and doing whatever Hydra asks."

The three agents rode in silence for the rest of the trip. The quietness was broken when the driver stopped the vehicle.

"All right, your targets are about a mile north of you," said Hill through their earpeices. "They are alone in the woods, so be stealthy or they'll hear you."

"Got it," Natasha stated. She checked her widow's bite and prepared her wires.

"All right. Clint and Nat, you circle around opposite ways. Let's see what we're up against before we do any attacking."

They trekked in silence. Steve slipped through the trees untill he could hear voices. He stopped and listened in case they had heard him.

"You're going to have to be quicker than that, Cassi!" came a joyfully familiar voice. Steve jerked in a breath.

"You want to do this?" Came a young girl's voice.

"What do you think I'm doing now?" Bucky asked. Steve heard a thump as something heavy was dropped onto the ground. "Now try again, and make it faster. In a life or death situation you could need this skill."

Steve edged a bit closer and peered into a small clearing. Bucky was at one end, his shiny chrome arm outstretched as if to catch something. At the other end, a young girl was standing behind a huge log that must have weighed at least a ton.

"Go!" Bucky commanded.

The girl glared at the log, a look of concentration etched onto her face for a split second before her eyes widened, and she turned and looked Steve directly in the eye. Bucky glanced over as well, and his face showed complete shock as he recognized his former best friend.

Steve opened his mouth to say something, but Bucky beat him to it. "Cassie, run!"

The girl turned to go, but Natasha chose that time to emerge from the trees with her pistols out.

"Don't move, we aren't here to hurt you!" she said, but Cassie paid her no heed, sprinting towards her with inhuman speed. She leapt over her as one might leap a board lying on the ground, flipping mid-air so she was facing Natasha's back. Seve saw Natasha go flying forwards and land in the dirt just as Bucky faced him.

"What do you want?" He snarled. Steve saw hardly any hostility in his eyes, it was more of a fierce protectiveness.

"Fury sent me here to pick up the rougues that destroyed the Hydra bases," Steve said evenly, "to determine whether they are threats or not."

"Does she look like a threat?" Bucky growled, gesturing to Cassie. Natasha had wired her hands together, and was waiting for any sign of aggression from Bucky. Cassie quit struggling as she caught on to Bucky's plan and gave Steve her best innocent and niiave look. It didn't work too well.

"Bucky, chances are Fury will let the two of you go as soon as he hears your stories. He may even offer you jobs as SHIELD agents," Steve said. He really didn't want to have to fight Bucky again.

"Not interested. Beat it." Bucky glared.

"Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way." Natasha pulled her pistol out and leveled it at Cassie. Steve knew she wouldn't actually shoot. She wanted to avoid an all-out brawl as much as he did, so she was using what leverage she had.

Bucky tensed, and Steve had no time to prepare himself as the man lunged at him. The two began a furious scuffle as Cassie easily snapped the wires around her wrists and knocked the Black Widow's gun away. She was reluctant to use her magic in front of the woman.

Natasha sent blow after blow, doing her best to strike out at the young teenage girl, who easily dodged each one, never attempting to go on the offensive until she felt strong hands grasp her arms and yank them behind her back.

"Thanks, Barton," Natasha reached for the power suppressor cuffs that Stark had invented.

"Are you sure those will work?" Barton asked, tightening his grip even more as Cassi struggled.

"If they can hold Loki, then they can certainly hold a well-trained teenager." Natasha waited for Barton to turn the girl around so she could snap the cuffs onto her wrists.

"True, but what makes you think this kid is-" Barton was cut off as the girl wrenched herself out of his strong grasp and over to several feet away.

"Stay back!" she warned.

Meanwhile, Bucky and Steve were pretty much evenly matched now that neither was trying to kill the other. Bucky slammed Steve back several yards. Steve retaliated by chucking his shield at him. Bucky dodged out of the way, and the shield continued to spiral through the air.

Steve gasped when he saw what would hit. Bucky swiveled around, watching as if in slow motion as the shield headed directly between Natasha and Clint and straight for Cassi. Bucky shouted a warning, but knew that Cassi couldn't grab it in time or even duck.

She just stood there watching it, a look of pure terror etched onto her face as the shield hurtled towards her. At the last second she dodged with inhuman speed, letting the shield slice into the tree behind her. She gave a shuddering sigh of relief and pried it out of the cedar trunk.

"Good thing for instincts. Am I right?" she asked no one in particular. She tossed the shield into the air a few times as one would a coin. "Now, where were we?"

Thirty minutes later, she and Bucky were jammed into the back of the vehicle along with Steve, Natasha, and Clint.

Bucky severely hoped that his decision to go back to SHIELD headquarters wasn't a grave mistake that would end up with he and Cassi being turned into lab rats for the rest of their lives. But Steve wouldn't let that happen. Even though much time had passed since WWII, the Captain still had his morals straight.

Bucky glanced around at the group. Clint and Natasha seemed relaxed enough, but he suspected that one odd move they would have their weapons leveled at him. Cassie had pulled her jacket's hood up over her head, and seemed content not to speak or socialize at all.

It was the same jacket she wore when with Hydra, only she had ripped Hydra's insignia off the shoulders. The hood had lightweight mechanisms installed, so that when she flipped it up it would stay up until she pressed the small buttons that would collapse it.

When the vehicle jerked to a stop, the doors were immediately yanked open from the outside and Bucky found himself nose-to-barrel with a squad of armed agents.

"Put your weapons away!" Steve ordered, annoyed. This little incident wasn't helping to put him on Bucky's trust list at all. The soldiers reluctantly put up their guns, but closely escorted the group up several flights of stairs and through several dozen corridors.

Bucky smirked to himself as a young soldier kept stealing glances at his metal arm and habitually reaching for his weapon. The kid had probably heard stories about the Winter Soldier and had grown a fear.

At last they reached a steel door. One of the guards went to shove Cassie inside, but froze and glanced at Steve. Bucky gave the guard a look that made the poor guy cringe.

Natasha broke the icy silence. "It would probably be best if you waited here," she told Cassie. "It will probably be several hours before the Director can see you."

Bucky gave his apprentice a concerned look. She shrugged lightly in reply. "I don't mind." She stepped inside the room, flinching slightly as the door slammed shut behind her.

The group continued walking. Steve wondered at Bucky's protectiveness towards Cassie. He had never seen his friend value someone so much.

They finally reached the interrogation chamber. Steve dismissed the guards, and he, Natasha, and Barton followed Bucky into the darkened room. Director Fury was already there, reclined slightly in his seat.

"Mr. Barnes." He greeted emotionlesly. "I've heard a lot about you."


	4. Chapter 4

**Seven follows?! You guys are amazing! :'D Thanks so much, I never thought this many people would like my story so much!**

Fury motioned to the seat across from him. "Have a seat, Mr. Barnes. I am very interested in hearing your story, as well as your companion's, but she can wait."

Bucky had to smother a smile. Fury seemed to have no idea of what Cassie was capable of, else he would have been much more eager to meet with her. A few images of his apprentice leaving dents in the iron door, or teleporting into the room flashed through his head.

"Start from the beginning," Fury commanded. Steve hovered a few feet to Bucky's left before pulling out his own chair from the table. Natasha stood patiently behind Fury, and Clint waited beside the door. Bucky had no doubt that he wouldn't hesitate to use his bow if Bucky so much as looked at Fury oddly.

"I'm waiting, Mr. Barnes," Fury said, snapping Bucky out of his five-second observation.

_Well, here goes nothing._ Bucky told Fury how Hydra's testing on him months before had given him the strength to grab onto a small tree on his way down the ravine, The tree had ripped out by its roots, but it slowed his fall enough to only knock him unconscious when he broke through the iced-over river.

"That in itself should have killed you," was Fury's only comment. He gestured for Bucky to go on.

"After the Nazi soldiers pulled me out, they brought me to one of Zola's labs. They gave me this," he rotated his chrome arm, "and gave me a slight brainwashing before icing me over for a few years until they needed me to kill someone. After each target was eliminated, they would stick me back into the ice box until they needed someone else killed. I was out for about," he paused, thinking. "I think it was seven years, when they got me out of storage to target you. After that, well, you all know what happened."

"And that's when you became a rouge and started taking down all the Hydra bases," Natasha prompted him. Bucky nodded.

"But that doesn't explain the energy sightings on the radar," Fury said. "What caused those?"

"We stole a few grenades from a base. Turns out they produce large forces of energy that can knock down buildings. We try a few out for training purposes every now and then. That must be the energy on your radar," Bucky fibbed smoothly.

Fury seemed to buy it. "I hope that you will use your talents for the better of mankind now that you seem to have had a change of heart."

Bucky looked at him questioningly.

"I want to offer you a position at SHIELD," Fury said bluntly.

"What about the council, sir?" Clint asked.

"They were the ones that wanted me to make sure the rouge either joined SHIELD or be eliminated as a threat." Fury smirked slightly. "How about it, Barnes?"

"Well, you've certainly given me a great many choices to choose from," Bucky said dryly. The four SHIELD agents chuckled.

"I would normally say yes, but I'm not sure how my apprentice would feel about me just leaving her on her own..." Bucky trailed off.

Fury waved his hand dismissively. "We can start her on a junior level. She'll be able to move up in rank when she turns eighteen."

Bucky wondered whether his decision to leave out Cassie's abilities was such a good idea. SHIELD would probably give her the opportunity to be on a top level if they knew about her partial-telekinesis.

If she wants to show them, it's her call, he finally decided. It wasn't his business to tell SHIELD about her powers if she wanted them to stay secret.

"All right," he finally decided. "I'll join up."

Steve clapped him so hard on the shoulder that Bucky was nearly pushed off the chair and onto the floor.

"Welcome back, buddy." Steve was grinning so hard Bucky feared the super-soldier's face would stretch.

"All right, I'll have quarters arranged for you here for a while, until the council is convinced you won't go and try to kill someone. You're going to have to take a routine checkup shortly. In the mean time, I suggest you go and talk to your "apprentice" and break the news to her." Fury stepped out the door, which Clint was holding open for the director. Clint closed the door firmly before turning to Bucky.

"Welcome to the crew, otherwise known as the zoo." He finally said, allowing a smile to crack through his stern features.

"Thanks," Bucky said, slightly uncomfortable with being the center of attention. Steve slapped him on the back. Again.

"Come on, let's go see your apprentice. You think we can have a coffee later, maybe catch up on a few things, such as life?" His voice faded as he walked out the door with Bucky towards Cassie's holding cell.

Clint and Natasha locked eyes. "This should be interesting," Natasha stated. Clint smirked and nodded in agreement as he hurried down the hall after her.

They had been listening over their earpieces as Agent Hill tried to convince Tony Stark not to go see "the guy with the classy metal arm". Stark wasn't having any of it, however, until Fury showed up seconds ago and threatened to drown the billionaire in paperwork if he didn't get himself off the premises. Now Stark was locked in a battle of threats involving hacking and re-coding with Fury.

"We should go break it up. Much as I want to meet Barnes's apprentice, keeping Tony Stark from losing an eye is much more important for now." Natasha broke into a jog.

"That's debatable," Clint muttered before hurrying to catch up.

After a few well-placed words on Natasha's part, Tony was convinced that uploading a photo-shopped picture of Fury onto the internet was definitely a bad idea. That was the good news. The bad news was that he insisted that meeting Barnes was the only way he wouldn't hack SHIELD and get even more pictures to photo-shop.

So Natasha walked along behind Fury to the holding cell, trying to keep her face stoic as Tony jabbered on and on about how he could possible upgrade Bucky's arm and give it a more natural color, such as, oh, crimson and gold, for example.

Clint just walked along behind the group and contemplated the chances of Tony slipping and getting knocked out by a bow. But then he would be the one to have to drag the billionaire around, and Tony was heavier than he looked.

"Is this it?" Tony demanded as they stopped by a door surrounded by guards, Agent Hill, and a very annoyed Steve, who was trying to order the guards away.

"How's it going?" Clint asked Steve as Natasha sent a glare that she saved for special occasions at the guards. Needless to say, they scattered.

"Bucky's speaking with her now. I gave them some time to talk it over." Steve impatiently tapped his foot as he leaned against the wall.

"Are they done now? I bet they're done." Tony jiggled the door handle. Steve wondered how much coffee the eccentric genius had had so far that day.

"Stark, remove your hand from the door handle unless you want it forcibly removed," Agent Hill ordered in her no-nonsense voice. She looked pointedly at Clint, who stepped forward, cracking his knuckles suggestively. Tony hastily backed away as someone knocked from the other side of the door.

Steve hurriedly opened it to allow Bucky to step out.

"She's in," he said to Fury, who merely nodded. "Hill, I'll let you do the talking on this one." He followed his second-in-command into the chamber.

"What did she say?" Steve asked his old friend, who shrugged.

"She wasn't thrilled, but she knows that we would've been caught up to by Hydra before long without help. This is the best we can do." He glanced at Natasha and Clint. "No offense intended."

"None taken," the Black Widow replied lightly. She watched in amusement as Tony tried to tinker with Bucky's arm without getting elbowed in the face.

"Stop!" Bucky finally growled when it became obvious that his attempt to ignore the mechanic wasn't working.

"But it's so complex and genius and...shiny!" Tony protested. "Can you feel this?" He tapped multiple times on the metal, creating an irritating ring.

"Can you feel this?" Natasha came to Bucky's rescue and planted her heel firmly on Tony's shoe. The man yelped in pain and tried to retreat without appearing cowardly. Steve obviously didn't want to look like he was protecting the billionaire, so he fished Tony out from his hiding place behind Steve. Tony promptly started an argument with both Steve and Natasha about the lack of respect he got as a superhero.

Bucky wisely edged away over towards Clint, who was merely watching the show.

"Are they always like this?" He asked the archer, wondering what he had gotten himself into.

"Usually. It's not so bad when the official peace-maker Dr. Banner is around, though. He can usually keep Tony distracted with science projects." He noticed Bucky's confused expression.

"Dr. Banner is more often recognized as the Hulk," he explained.

"Ah, yes. Of course. That makes perfect sense..." Bucky muttered. Clint laughed, then straightened up to attention as Fury, Agent Hill, and Cassi emerged from the chamber.

"Hill, get Cassandra a fake last name for the time being. Get her signed into level one training, and invent a back story for her."

"Yes, sir." Hill motioned for Cassi to come with her, and the two disappeared down the long hallway.

"Steve, you're in charge of Barnes until I can find a decent handler that won't want to strangle him. Barton, you're officially off duty for today, so get lost. Natasha, go do whatever it is you do when you're off duty." Fury strode away, trench coat flapping with every step he took.

"It's easy to see who the favorite is around here," Clint grumbled. Natasha just laughed and poked him to get him moving.

Steve escorted Bucky to the hospital wing. A middle-aged doctor came and declared Bucky to be in perfect physical condition after running some tests. He brought in a psychiatrist to check Bucky's mental health, much to Steve's dismay.

"Calm down, there's no reason he'll send me to the loony bin. I'm in perfect mental health as well," Bucky tried to assure him. He was right. Despite having a few fuzzy memories of when he was still working for Hydra, Bucky's mind was completely intact.

Next stop was the "barracks" as Steve jokingly called the housing areas for the agents. Fury had discreetly arranged for Bucky to have an extra large room, all to himself.

"You'll want to be careful," Steve advised. "Some of the agents that don't know about you yet might panic when they see you."

"I'll be fine," Bucky smirked. "I keep feeling like this should be opposite, like I should be the mother hen."

"Old world problems, my friend." Steve laughed. He pointed to the closet panels cleverly hidden inside the walls. "There's some SHIELD -issued uniforms in there. If you like I can take you back to your place in a few days, and you can grab your stuff. It's nice not to wear a uniform when you're off duty."

"Okay, I'll have to see if I can get a chance to do that." Bucky studied the hologram of his schedule that was built into the wall. It was currently blank, but Bucky had a feeling it would fill up soon.

"What say we get that coffee now?" Steve prompted. Bucky chuckled.

"You never forget a thing, do you?" He followed the super soldier back down the many hallways.

**I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! :) I have decided that I will be adding a new chapter only once a week, because I would rather have a long(ish) chapter that's well done than two, short, lame ones for you guys to read. I think a new chapter will be up every Thursday. Please keep the reviews coming, they are a great encouragement! :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**I am SO sorry this is so late! I was planning on getting it out on time, but I had a bad case of Life and Responsibility :\. But in the mean time, enjoy this pitiful excuse of a chapter! I'm not really happy with it, but I really wanted to get it out for you guys today. Thanks SO much for the reviews, you guys are awesome! :) Now I'll stop rambling and let you guys read. By some miracle, enjoy!**

Over the course of the next few days, Bucky threw himself into training. There was actually no need for him to do so, because his combat skills more than surpassed the other trainees. He spent most of his time learning about SHIELD technology, code words, and other similiar topics that would come in handy during missions.

He encountered a few agents that seemed to want to make a name for themselves by smashing his face in. But thankfully, after Steve threatened an eager young man who couldn't seem to grasp the fact that the Winter Soldier was no longer an enemy, the foolish attempts to goad Bucky into a fight were stopped. Another two days, and Bucky had made a few stiff friendships, but for the most part he and Steve kept to themselves.

Needless to say, Bucky was enjoying himself. The only downside besides how bad the food tasted was the fact that he wasn't allowed to see Cassie. But from the reports he heard, she was doing extremely well, and fitting in nicely with her group.

The truth was, she was doing anything but fitting in. Everyone in her training group was either older or had high-ranking, respected agents for parents. The first day that she was introduced, three girls and two boys began to pry her for information on her back story.

"You're from Belar, right?" A girl had asked, short of breath after trying to catch up to Cassie on her way to the gym.

"It's Belara, actually." Cassie muttered. She had always been a bit socially awkward, but now it was coming out more than ever, to her embarrasment. She just hoped she could remember her fake background information that Agent Hill had invented for her.

"Oh yes, how could I be so stupid? Because everyone has heard of Belara!" A boy with shaggy red hair mocked. The others smirked.

Cassie did her best to ignore them as she continued down the hallway to the gym that was issued to their group. The other teens hurried to catch up.

"So how did you get here?" asked the girl.

"I was picked up by a group of agents returning from a mission. They got me signed into Level One, and here I am." Cassie recited quickly.

"Which agents?" the red head asked doubtfully.

"That's classified," Cassie quickly said, confident that it would shut them up.

"Have you been trained to fight?" The red head asked. Cassie shrugged.

"I picked up a few things here and there," she evaded.

"Well then, Cassandra Galaway, why don't you show us?" He smirked back at his companions as they entered the gym.

He situated himself into a combat-ready position on the large mat and waited. Cassie rolled her eyes at his simple foot placement before tossing her bag down onto a bench.

"Ready, fight!" Commanded one of Red's peers. "Red" launched himself at Cassie with a volley of poorly executed kicks and swipes. Cassie sidestepped them all before directing a single punch at his gut, which knocked him back several feet and left him gasping for air on his back.

"Excuse me," Cassie muttered as she shoved passed the gawking teens and headed over to the weaponry range. She felt the surprised and stern gazes of the instructors from the other end of the room.

_Well, good job. Now Fury and Hill will hear about it and I'll get either kicked out or jailed for being dangerous. Bucky Barnes, this was your idea! If you hadn't agreed to come to SHIELD I could have moved us to a new location, a new country even, and everything would've been the same, just you and me taking down Hydra. _

Cassie spent the next few days sulking at Bucky and carefully avoiding the other trainees. At physical combat, she stayed towards the back of the line, and tried to take on only the easy competitors. She figured that if she did appear superior with her skills, anyone watching would blame it on her less-skilled sparring partner.

The only class that she couldn't hide in was Mission Strategy. The trainees were required to sit at individual hologram tables and work through artificials kinks that happened in pretend missions. Instructors would pace around and generally make the students terrified. Cassie was in the middle of one such torture hour when a demon-er-instructor- stopped to speak with her.

"You just put three agents where there should've been none. Why?" The woman tucked a strand of bright blonde hair behind her ear.

"Because the real fight is going to happen over here." Cassie spun the light blue hologram over to a set of large doors. She tapped an icon, and one of the four identical agents placed explosives on the doors. As soon as the explosion cleared, armed guards began to pour out of the building. Cassie had moved the four agents up to a hill, and they began to easily pick off the guards below them.

"Good, but that won't hold them for long. They won't be able to get past the guards." The instructor moved to a better vantage point.

"That's why I moved these three over here. Theres a boiler room right through a thin wall. Inside of it is an air vent, which leads directly to the control room." Cassie lasered through the wall, and the three agents hurried to find the vent. One stayed at the entrance to guard, and the other two scurried through the shafts until they were directly above the control room. After lowering himself on a cable, an agent plugged in the hardrive to the main computer, downloading a virus that overrode the system and pulled out the needed files.

"Impressive. No one's done that before," the instructor complemented.

"Thank you, ma'am." Cassie moved all of the agents away from the building and over to where they would be airlifted out. She smiled as she saw her score. 100.

"You've been aceing all tests. I think it's time you were moved to a higher training level." The woman seemed to read Cassie's mind.

"Which level, ma'am?" Cassie asked.

"Probably five or six." The woman strode away, completely oblivious to Cassie's celebratory fist pump.

The next day, Cassie was transfered to level six. There she felt even more out of place because everyone was at least in their twenties. The only good thing about it was that no one tried to start a conversation with her. They just tossed a few curious glances her way before going about their business.

Cassie was finally able to spar without having to hold back so much. She still won every time, though, and she knew many were doubting her back story. No one was that trained by picking up a few random techniques. Cassie began to lose a few rounds here and there, and the rumors decreased slightly. But it all came crashing down when they had "special guests" for a visit.

"Listen up, Agents!" Barked the instructor. He was a large-chested man with graying hair, but his aging did nothing to decrease his ferociousness. "I want you in a line now! And I mean a line!" He glared as the trainees hurried to make sure the toes of their boots were resting perfectly on a blue line on the floor.

The instructor paced in front of them, glaring at one agent whose uniform collar was crooked. The poor man quickly straightened it, swallowing nervously. The instructor continued to walk and glare.

"We are being honored enough today to have the infamous Avengers come and give an "inspirational speech" . If any of you blockheads mess it up, you can see me personally. Got it?" He nodded in satisfaction as the trainess chorused their respectful "yes sir"s.

He paraded the agents into a huge room with a large platform on one end. Cassie's eyes widened as she saw nearly every agent in SHIELD headquarters gathered into neat ranks.

Cassie straightened her grey uniform and craned her neck to see the Avengers walk into the huge room and onto the platform. She shrank back when Barton's gaze landed on her.

_What if he spills where I came from? How will I explain that I used to work for Hydra?_ Cassie nervously chewed her bottom lip as a high-ranked agent repeatedly thanked them for coming.

"Oh, it was nothing, really. I wasn't doing anything important today, other than a few board meetings." Tony Stark waved his hand carelessly. A few young women in the line sighed dreamily while Cassie merely contemplated teleporting away. It had been a while since she manipulated that much energy, but if things got desperate, she would do her best.

"Before we start, I would just like to say, for all of us, what a pleasure it is to be here," Steve Rogers spoke up. "Are there any questions?"

Someone raised their hand. Tony Stark snickered.

"What is this, a school lecture? Speak, Buster." He joked.

The young agent took a deep breath before bursting out his question.

"Is it true the Avengers Initiative is going to have a new member?"

Excited murmurs broke out and Cassie frowned, having heard nothing about it.

"It's true. In fact, it was cleared last night." Steve stated.

"Who is it?" Someone demanded before clapping a hand over their mouth in embarrasment.

"This may come as a surprise to many of you who were around a few years ago when Hydra resurfaced. You may remember the Winter Soldier, who was brainwashed multiple times into not knowing what was right or wrong. He knew only to follow orders. His memories started to come back, though, and camera footage was found of him saving me from drowning."

Gasps broke out and whispered conversations started. Cassie was still frozen. She had a sinking feeling in her gut as to where this conversation was headed.

"After three years of him destroying Hydra bases and branches, he was found and recruited into SHEILD. I would like you all to welcome James Buchanam "Bucky" Barnes, my comrade-in-arms and best friend in World War II, formerly known as the Winter Soldier, and the newest member of the Avengers Initiative!"

A few hesitate claps broke out as Bucky appeared out of seemingly nowhere and strode up the steps to stand by Steve. The few claps soon turned into thunderous applause as the Avengers stood in a line and each threw an arm over the person beside them. It seemed that everyone loved the idea of a villain-turned-hero.

Bucky scanned the crowd for Cassie. Clint had said that he'd seen her go in earlier, but she was either blocked from his view or hiding on purpose. It killed him that Fury hadn't allowed him to speak with her beforehand about his decision to join the Avengers. Fury was probably right, he realized. If he contacted her someone might put two and two together and figure out that she was trained by him.

Cassie felt sick to her stomach. After all they had been through together, Bucky didn't even say 'goodbye', or 'good luck with life' before skipping off to join his old pal and become famous. She turned and began to shove her way through the crowd. She couldn't stand to be here, celebrating the absence of the closest thing she had to family. She was almost to the door when she saw them.

They were Hydra agents, she could tell by the hatred in their eyes. One of the men muttered something to his companion, who nodded and reached into his pocket, pulling out a little silver remote.

Time seemed to slow down as his finger moved for the small, single black button on it. Without thinking, Cassie released a wave of energy that sent the remote spinning out of his hand and onto the floor, where it slid until it rapped against a random agent's boot. Wait, definately not a random agent.

Agent Hill glanced down and picked it up, her eyes widening as she recognized the explosive detonator.

"Security!" She shouted, drawing her pistol and leveling it at the two agents.

"Galaway, back away from them," the woman commanded. Cassie did as told as a team of security agents charged through the door.

"Clear the room!" Hill shouted. Agents began to stampede towards the door. Cassie slipped behind a support beam on the wall and scanned the crowd for anymore Hydra agents. She sent out a tendril of energy, letting it be her eyes as it floated high up above the crowd.

_Gotcha!_ Cassie wrapped the energy around the sniper in the rafters and lowered him to ten feet above the ground after flinging away his rifle. She then dropped him onto the marble floor. The security agents finished gaping and cuffed him.

"Galaway!" Hill barked as Cassie tried to slip away.

"Explain, please." Hill ordered more than asked.

"You really wouldn't beleive me," Cassie muttered. She began to twist energy in an effort to teleport away.

"Actually, I think we would," Natasha Romanov said from behind her. Cassie flinched as she heard more footsteps. Bucky, Steve, and Tony appeared, the latter grinning like a maniac.

"I can't explain everything, but you should know that Cassie will do no one any harm," Bucky tried to calm the situation.

"I don't know that," Director Fury's voice resounded through the now-empty room. He glanced around.

"We should find a safer place to discuss this than in a bomb-filled room, don't you think?" He turned and led the way down the hallway.

**I'm sorry that this chapter was mostly from Cassie's POV, but I was in such a hurry to get this up for you guys that I didn't have time to revise it. Im going to start writing a new chapter tomorrow, and try and keep at least one spare chapter in storage so that I will always have something ready for you guys. Thanks again for the reviews, they really encourage me to write faster! (hint hint). I'll see you guys on Thursday! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

"I guess I probably should have mentioned that I was experimented on by Hydra?" Cassie chewed her bottom lip as she glanced up at Fury's impassable face. She had been led to a small room and shoved into an extremely uncomfortable chair. The Avengers were gathered behind the one-way glass panel on the wall in front of her, watching the interrogation.

"Why did you fail to mention this?" Fury demanded. Cassie shrugged.

"I guess at the time the idea of being a lab rat wasn't very appealing?"

Fury sighed. "I understand that you were probably lied to a lot by Hydra about SHIELD. Well, the truth is, we protect more people now than they ever will. We would never experiment on a nutral threat, unless they turned hostile and we needed to shut them down. Hydra, on the other hand, experimented for fun. You have nothing to fear from SHIELD. Do you understand?"

Cassie gave a slight nod.

"Now, can you tell me about your abilities?" Fury sat in the chair across the table from her.

"I control the random energy floating around the universe. I can move objects by wrapping energy around them, I can pull energy into myself and recharge, and I can manipulate it so that it transports me to a different location. That is all." Cassie wished to be anywhere but here. She could practically feel the Avengers' gazes boring into her, and it was making her nervous.

"That is quite a useful talent, Cassandra. Would you be willing to use it for SHIELD?" Fury said, straight to the point.

Cassie looked directly at him. "Only if you can promise me that I will never have to use it against an innocent, whether they are enemy or not."

"That is one of our policies here at SHIELD." Fury cracked a small smile.

"All right. I will continue to train on level six, then?" Cassie hadn't felt this relieved for, well, ever. She wouldn't have to look over her shoulder every few moments, wondering if anyone had caught on to her powers yet.

"Actually, you will no longer train with any level. You will have a personal trainer from now on, so that you can hone your skills without anything holding you back." Fury stood up and opened the unlocked door. Cassie mentally facepalmed as she exited the room, as she had assumed the steel door was locked.

"Agent Hill, take Galaway to her new quarters. Make sure no one contacts her without proper clearance." Fury ordered.

"Yes, sir." Hill headed off down the hallway, and Cassie had to trot to catch up.

Fury turned to the Avengers as they filed out of the connecting room.

"I want you all to be alert. If Hydra is eager enough to risk their few remanining agents' cover in order to blow you all up, then they must be planning something," he warned before turning and striding off down the hallway.

Clint and Natasha slipped away while Tony headed to the control room. Steve turned to Bucky.

"Let's go train for a bit. We have a mission tonight, remember?"

Bucky nodded and followed the captain.

Agent Hill led Cassie to a new wing that was so secure it was rediculous. Cassie wondered whether Stark himself could get through all of the systems. Then she shook her head. Tony Stark could get through anything.

"Here are your quarters. Your possessions have been moved into them already, so you can have thirty minutes to yourself before you meet your handler." Hill paused. "He's dropped a lot of important projects and people to train you, so it would be best if you didn't mention his name to anyone. _Anyone._" She hurried away.

Cassie was pleased to find that her quarters were actually a large room with a small bathroom attached. The bed was in a corner, a dark blue blanket with a SHIELD logo was neatly made up on it. A black desk had a cordless PC resting on its surface, and Cassie's sharp eyes picked out the hidden panels on the wall where her clothes were to be kept.

She opened the black storage box that was sitting beside the doorway and found her clothes inside of it.

_I wonder why they hide these panels? I mean, it looks cool and classy, but early in the morning you wold have a hard time finding your clothes! _ Cassie thought as she stored both her uniforms and the civilian clothes she had been given into the panels.

The time got away from her, and when the cool, collected male voice of an AI came over the loudspeaker, she jumped.

_Agent Galaway, Director Fury requests your presence in his office immediately._

"I'm on my way." Cassie stepped outside her quarters and paused when she saw the dozens of interlocking hallways. She quickly stepped back in the room.

"Uh, which way to his office, if you don't mind me asking?" She asked the AI, feeling a little ridiculous for talking to the ceiling.

_Take a right outside your door, go straight, take a left, go straight three hallways, take-"_

"Wait, slow down! I won't remember this. Can't you just tell me as I go?" Cassie interrupted.

_I am only programmed to be used in private rooms, so that the other agents can avoid confusion as to whom I am speaking to. However, on your desk is a small earpiece. If you will put it in place, I can direct you through the hallways without other agents hearing._

Cassie did as instructed, and knew that the AI was going to be a great help in the future as it directed her through the maze of hallways until she reached Director Fury's office.

"I'm glad you could finally make it," the director said with a hint of sarcasm.

"I got a little lost," Cassie explained sheepishly. Fury rolled his one eye heavenwards for an instant before glancing at the doorway.

"Agent Galaway, meet your handler."

Cassie turned and saw a dark-skinned man with a soldierly stature step through the doorway.

"Agent Galaway, I'm Sam Wilson. I've heard a lot about you lately, and it's nice to finally meet you." He held his hand out for her to shake. Cassie pushed off her nervousness and shook his hand.

"It's nice to meet you as well." Cassie already felt at ease with the man.

"You two have a private gym for your own use. Galaway, Wilson will be training you in everything you need to know, from hand-to-hand combat, to weaponry and strategy. You are dismissed." Fury turned back to his desk.

Once out of his office, Wilson turned to Cassie.

"Meet me in the gym in ten minutes. Your AI will guide you to it." He hurried away and was quickly out of sight.

"Um, AI? Do you have a name?" Cassie muttered after making sure no one was watching her talk to herself. They would probably guess that she had an earpiece, but you never knew.

_I was created a mere thirty minutes ago, my sole purpose being to assist you. I was not given a name, but I feel that you are more capable of doing so than I._

"I have no clue how to go about naming an AI," Cassie muttered. "Which way to the gym?"

_It is three hallways down from your quarters._

"Ah." Cassie hurried back the way she came. "What do you think about the name Jori? It doesn't stand for anything, but I think it sounds nice."

_Updating commands as we speak, ma'am._

"Drop the "ma'am" and we'll be good." Cassie finally found her quarters and continued down the hallway. "Is this it?"

_Yes, your trainer is waiting inside._

Cassie took a deep breath. "Here goes." She shoved the door open.

"Here's the Quinn Jet that we'll be taking," Steve explained to Bucky, pointing at the oddly-shaped plane.

"How long will it take to get there?" Bucky asked, following Steve up the ramp and into the Quinnjet's belly.

"Normally about seven hours, but thanks to the power of advanced technology, we'll get there in about one and a half," Natasha said from the pilot's seat. She pressed a few buttons and the hatched closed.

Thirty minutes later, Bucky was about ready to pound his head against the wall. Steve, Clint, and Natasha were cracking jokes about former missions to pass the time, and the lack of humor in them was incredibly annoying.

"Jeez, Buck, calm down!" Steve said after another fifteen minutes had passed. Bucky forced his foot to stop tapping and sighed.

"I haven't had to sit still for this long for a while." Bucky explained.

"How do you normally get to the Hydra bases, then?" Natasha asked.

"Cassie manipulates energy and gets us there in about three seconds flat. The only downside is a moment of dizziness."

"That would be rather useful," Clint admitted. "Do you usually have a plan before you get there?"

"Usually, but it depends on the base's security. A few times when things have gone sour, we just wing it."

"Sounds like you," Steve muttered. Bucky glared.

"It's better than spending an hour mapping out a perfect route and squad formation only to have to toss it down the drain," he shot back.

"You're the one that-" Steve began. He was interrupted by Natasha.

"Girls, girls! You're both pretty, and each way works best for you. That's what matters. Now either change the subject or I will turn this jet around!" She spoke carefully, like she was instructing three-year-olds.

Steve snickered, and Bucky finally cracked a smile at their argument.

"All right, change of subject. This is a Hydra base we're attacking, right?" Bucky asked.

"We'll be attacking it, but getting information is our main goal, not destroying it." Clint glanced back at him from the copilot's seat. "SHIELD thinks it could be hosting super-soldiers of some sort, because the energy readings around it are ridiculously high. Both of you should be prepared to for a fight."

Steve and Bucky passed remaining thirty minutes checking all of their equipment. When it was time for the mission to start, Natasha let Clint take over the pilot seat.

"Be our eye in the sky, Feathers!" Steve called to him as he fastened on his parachute.

"Only if you be our victory flag, Spangles!" Everyone groaned at his failed attempt of humor.

"All right, party time's over. Let's go!" Natasha leaped out of the hatch and plummeted towards the ground. Bucky and Steve quickly followed.

They landed in a large patch of bushes, which they used to hide their parachutes. The three agents carefully slipped down the hill and studied the situation. There was a large steel door built into the side of the mountain, with two armed guards patrolling in front of it.

"If we make a commotion, we can draw them away from the security cameras and take them out," Natasha muttered to Steve. Steve nodded and grabbed a small rock out of the forest ground. He chucked it at some nearby bushes, causing them to rustle violently. The two guards looked around suspiciously before slipping over to investigate.

"SHIELD's about to hack into their systems and make it seem like the attack is from somewhere else. We have roughly thirty seconds before the doors open for us," Natasha said after Steve had given the two guards concussions with his shield. The three agents readied themselves as they waited. Soon, Bucky's enhanced ears picked out blaring alarms from the inside of the mountain.

"Go!" Natasha suddenly commanded. The three began to sprint across the clearing as the doors slowly slid open.

They raced down the empty, dark hallways, following Natasha's tracking device that used arrows to point them in the right directions. Once they saw a squad of soldiers, but Bucky quickly took them out with a few well-placed knocks in the head from his metal arm.

"The room we need to access is crawling with guards and technicians. You two will need to clear the room as fast as possible before they call for backup." Natasha checked a hallway before racing down it.

"On three," Steve said to Bucky, who nodded after checking his small machine gun.

As they smashed the door open, Steve chucked his shield at a handful of guards while Bucky quickly gunned down several. Natasha made her way past scrambling white-coated technicians and scientists over to the computer panels.

She plugged in a small chip and was immediately forced to ward off an armed scientist.

"How much longer?" Clint asked through the earpiece.

"About fifteen seconds." Natasha turned back to the computers as Bucky took care of the scientist. She glanced at her mapping device and froze.

"Guys, we have a problem. A giant energy reading is headed our way. We can't make it out in time to avoid it."

"We'll have to fight it then." Steve bashed his shield over the last guard's head.

"But we don't know what we're up against. If this data chip gets destroyed, then we're in a pickle." Natasha unplugged the device and stowed it inside a hidden pocket on her cat suit.

"You two evacuate. I'll handle that energy." Bucky said confidently.

"I don't think so. We don't know if it's a human or a weapon, and you may need backup. I'll go with you. Natasha, you get that chip back to the Quinn Jet." Steve readied his shield.

"All right. Don't either of you die. I'd hate to have to explain it to Fury." Natasha smirked slightly and sprinted back down the many corridors.

Bucky and Steve scanned the hallways and found nothing.

"Do you think the energy reading was a misreading on Nat's device? Or maybe it was a machine that they were trying to hide." Bucky glanced around.

"Well I-" Steve was cut off as a nearly invisible blur launched him backwards about fifteen feet. Steve rolled twice and sprang to his feet, shield in a ready position to ward off whatever his attacker was.

"What is that?!" He exclaimed to Bucky, who caught a glimpse of the blur and managed to leap away just in time.

"How should I know?!" Bucky demanded. The blur seemed to pause for an instant in order to avoid crashing into a wall, and Bucky could barely make out the image of a man dressed in light blue.

"You're a human," Bucky realized. The swift man made another pass at Bucky, who managed to grab him using his chrome arm.

"You're a mutant?" Bucky wondered. He strained to get a good look at the pale, silver-haired young man.

The mutant glanced at Bucky's metal arm and gasped.

"The Winter Soldier escaped Hydra's control?" He muttered absently. "How?" He twisted away and shot off before a reply was given.

"Wait, we can help you!" Bucky called after the blurred figure as it disappeared down the long hallway.

"Let's get out of here before it comes back with reinforcements!" Steve called.

The two super soldiers barreled out of the mountainside, heading for the pick-up point.

"Are you being followed?" Clint asked over the com.

Steve glanced over his shoulder. "Negative as far as I can tell."

"All right, landing in ten seconds."

The Quinn Jet dropped out of the sky with the hatch opened. Steve and Bucky leaped into it, and the jet soared away.

"What was that back there?" Natasha asked from the copilot's seat.

"I'm not sure. A mutant of some kind." Bucky stared thoughtfully out of the jet's front window. "It appears that Hydra is still creating mutants."

"But what for? Hydra is nearly wiped off the face of the planet, so mutant won't do them any good." Clint stated.

"You're right. That leaves only one reason," Natasha said grimly. "They want to wipe their enemies out before they go down. Enemies like the Avengers."

**I am so sorry for not updating for nearly five weeks! I had the flu, and then when I finally sat down to write, I discovered I had my first case of writers block. I think I've managed to escape it, so I can hopefully have regular updates out again. Thank you so much for sticking with this story, even after so long without an update. You guys are awesome! Please tell me if you like the way it's going so far. I'm thinking about adding other Marvel superheroes, like Spiderman for instance. See you next week!**

**-EmersedMouse**

**P.S. - I have relatives staying for the summer, so future chapters will probably have to be shorter for a while.**


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